DiRT 4 So, first impressions? Where does it stand versus DR?

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Ouch... :unsure:
 
There are a lot of fantastic features in this. It basically ticks every box except nice physics. Fix the physics and it'll go from "blehhh" to a must buy.

I agree!

DiRT Rally has many imperfections, but at its core is an engaging & addicting driving package. DiRT 4 flips this experience on its head - It's improved on its immediate predecessor in so many aspects in Rallycross and off the stage, but I really do not like the core driving experience, more realistic or not, on the rally stages :unsure:

After some deliberation, I decided to refund it and wait until I can get it in the bargain bin. Speaking of bargain bins, I also picked up RBR yesterday and wow. I honestly found the game of over 10 years old to be the more engaging experience. Add some NGP physics and I found it even better, too - definitely will be playing a lot of this and more of DiRT Rally in the future :thumbsup:
 
I tend to agree that Sim racers like things difficult (GPL) but not in this case. When you can barely drift a rally car and FWD cars don't have lift off oversteer at 120mph, something is wrong.

I agree in general but not in this case.
 
When you can barely drift a rally car
Yeah, I'll give you that, the rear is very weird at the moment, but I think it's less extreme than the obscenely, unrealistically oversteery nature of DR due to the weight being much better defined than it ever was in DR. Defo needs to be patched a bit though.

and FWD cars don't have lift off oversteer at 120mph
I think that's partially on your end. I'm having a very easy time with that now, and if anything it's making me enjoy FWDs far more than I ever did in DR since the cars are doing what I want them and expect them to do now.
 
The thing is

You could easily set up the fwd cars to have the lift oversteer by setting the brake bias mid.

Then you could be all Dave Metcalfe and drive like that everywhere. It was not necessarily quicker, but boy was it good fun.
 
If you've got to setup a car to make it drive worse then there's a problem. Brake bias won't effect lift off oversteer anyway - that's pure weight transfer and grip levels. When the weight moves forward the rear tyres should lose grip. In dirt 4 they don't.
 
I tend to agree that Sim racers like things difficult (GPL) but not in this case. When you can barely drift a rally car and FWD cars don't have lift off oversteer at 120mph, something is wrong.

I agree in general but not in this case.

I have lift off oversteer at 120 KM/H (which is about... 80 MPH?) in the Peugoet 205 (The H2 FWD). What car are you driving?
 
I'm driving the Peugeot 205 literally right now. (Well, posting on my phone, whilst the game is loading). 205 Historic FWD. The car is absolutely planted. You need do drive completely recklessly to get it out of control. And I'm winning stages on the hardest difficulty by 30 seconds (which is somewhat disappointing).

Unless you try and get the rear out, it won't happen. Driven in Australia, currently in Spain. Drives like it has a huge diffuser.
 
Yeah sorry, Tough. But I shouldn't be winning by 30 seconds. Was about 10 seconds per stage in Australia, 30 in Spain.

Spain is the best example of the physics problems. It has the worst possible corners for FWD cars. Long, downhill, off camber trail braking. That's a fwd nightmare. But not in this game, the car is glued. Adrian Newey should have a look at the aero on my 205. He might learn something.
 
Yeah sorry, Tough. But I shouldn't be winning by 30 seconds. Was about 10 seconds per stage in Australia, 30 in Spain.
Yep, Spain and especially Michigan are broken. Australia is far harder, but mostly inconsistent, with some stages being nigh impossible even on Tough right now - at least a few hours ago, at Sawtell Wood - Ascent, only one player in the ENTIRE WORLD had managed to beat the times that my Tough AI set in group A cars. Even Joona Pansku was 5th, 2 seconds slower than my best AI, and I was 13th, 6 seconds down. It's a tad bit ridiculous. I think they're worse in FWD cars, but not by much.

In particular, technical stages with lots of 3s are bad for them, while fast Finland-like sections are incredibly good for them, with them taking even mid-straight 5&6 combinations completely flat as if they don't exist.

Spain is the best example of the physics problems. It has the worst possible corners for FWD cars. Long, downhill, off camber trail braking. That's a fwd nightmare. But not in this game, the car is glued. Adrian Newey should have a look at the aero on my 205. He might learn something.
Not in my experience, nor that of a good friend of mine who was basically alien tier in DR. I can lose it and do what I want with it just fine - in fact, Spain feels like one of the best sections in the game for me so far, barring some bullshit corners.
 
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I can't agree. Unless you set the car up to be harder to drive then that isn't what it drives like, and if you have to set it up to be realistic then it isn't realistic. There is a huge gulf between this and every other game we consider a simulation. Being an alien in DR doesn't really mean much since this drives absolutely nothing like DR. If we want to go down that route, then fine - I qualified for the iRacing World Championship, and I'm saying this is not realistic. Anyone who has driven a FWD hatchback on a wet road even at normal road speeds could tell you this isn't how cars drive.

If this game is realistic then it's time to stop being impressed with Sebastian Loeb and Colin McRae because even I could be a wrc champion. There is very little challenge in keeping the car on the racing surface in this game. I should take my Fiesta rallying if this game is realistic.

On another note, land rush is bloody terrible. Slow AI and a spotter who doesn't bother spotting. Doesn't tell you when there's a car alongside about half the time, and when he does he's far too late.
 
Unless you set the car up to be harder to drive
Default setup actually.

then that isn't what it drives like
Given your struggles in specific sections, I'm not very convinced by your arguments here, honestly. I'd give it a bit more time, especially if you're overly used to DR or RBR like a lot of people who are currently struggling with the game.

On another note, land rush is bloody terrible. Slow AI and a spotter who doesn't bother spotting. Doesn't tell you when there's a car alongside about half the time, and when he does he's far too late.
The calls in general could be a lot better in D4. Big downgrade from DR.
 

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